Leicestershire councillor slams slow broadband

A local councillor from south-east Leicestershire has slammed the state of fixed-line broadband in the county's most rural corners.

Chris Kilby, a representative for Hallaton Parish Council, claimed yesterday (June 3rd) that 1,500 homes and businesses in 12 local villages are currently "in desperate need" of high-speed connectivity.

"Applications such as video conferencing are becoming ever more important for businesses and the farming community," he argued.

Mr Kilby, who campaigns with the Welland Broadband Group, also pointed out that upload speeds are sometimes ignored when an internet service is scrutinised.

He said he suffers with upstream data transfer rates as low as 0.38 Mbps, affecting the business he runs from home and his ability to respond to customers quickly.

Leicestershire County Council has been allocated £2.94 million as part of the Rural Community Broadband Fund for the areas not included in the Broadband Delivery UK project, but Mr Kilby said this was "failing to meet the need" of his community.

Tired of waiting for improvements to your fixed-line service? Consider switching to satellite broadband, which provides the same speeds to every customer regardless of location.